Gerry Byrne: Liverpool legend & World Cup winner passes away

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Gerry Byrne, the great left-back of Bill Shankly’s first successful Liverpool side, has passed away at the age of 77, according to The Guardian.

The full-back—who was born in Liverpool and only ever represented his beloved Reds—was also a member of England’s 1966 World Cup-winning squad. While he didn’t get on the pitch during the tournament, which was hosted in England, he made two appearances for the Three Lions during an international career limited by the presence of Ray Wilson.

Gerry Byrne starred in the 1965 FA Cup final victory over Leeds United, where he famously played on despite suffering a broken collar bone. It was testament to Byrne’s grit, endurance and bravery, qualities that set him apart against many of his rivals.

Former Liverpool manager Roy Evans paid tribute to ‘one of our great 1965 boys’ on Twitter.

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The consistent defender made 333 appearances for the Reds, scoring four goals, and also won two league titles during his career’s-worth of service to the Merseyside giants. The first of these was the championship victory of 1963-Shankly’s first major honour with Liverpool.

40,000 supporters attended his testimonial at Anfield in April 1970.